


Uncle Ben

by love_write_edit_sleep



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Irondad Bingo, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Uncle Ben - Freeform, canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-29 05:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19823050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: It’s the anniversary of Uncle Ben’s death, and Peter is still feeling the guilt as though he were still leaning over his Uncle’s body. Tony tries to help.





	Uncle Ben

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Since Marvel seems to have erased Uncle Ben from Peter’s back story thus far, I’mma fix it. Idk who killed Uncle Ben so I’mma make up a name. Sorry it’s short, I have no inspiration rn.

_ “Hey, Tony? It’s May.” _

“Oh, hey, May.” Tony was slightly surprised to hear from May. Not that they didn’t often talk about Peter, but they had nothing planned and Peter was focusing on his school finals, which meant Tony only saw him once a week. “How's things?”

_ “Um… I don’t think Peter’s going to want to do his internship today.” _

“Oh? Is he alright?”

_ “It’s just a tough day for him… He watched his Uncle die 2 years ago. He never really handled the anniversary well.” _

“He, um, he didn’t tell me about that.”

_ “He doesn’t talk about it.” _

“I see. Well, I’ll send Happy anyway, and if Peter wants to come he can, but no pressure.”

_ “Just… Please take it easy with him today. He’s fragile.” _

“Of course. I’ll let you know if he turns up. Look after yourself, May.” Tony whispered before hanging up. “FRIDAY, can you show me news reports about any ‘Parkers’ in Queens?”

“I have found many reports on Mary and Richard Parker, and on Benjamin Parker, Sir.”

“Show me.”

* * *

Hours later, Tony still found himself at his lab desk, scrolling through news about Peter’s lost family members, however he’d avoided the video report until this point. He braced himself as he clicked ‘play’.

_ “Michael Carradine, a 35 year old man, was arrested this evening by the one and only Spider-Man after several thefts and the murder of Benjamin Parker.” _

As the woman spoke, surveillance played, showing a teenage boy, who Tony recognised as Peter immediately, leaving a shop and angrily tossing his backpack on his back before heading down the road. A split second later, an older man, Michael, ran out the same shop, catching Peter’s attention. Their eyes met, but Peter did nothing to stop Michael from crossing the road and running in the opposite direction. However, Michael tripped, a shiny black object falling from his pocket and skidding across the sidewalk.

Another man came into the frame to make a grab for the gun, only for Michael to grab it at the same time. As the two fought, the man gave a shout for someone to call the police. He was cut off half way through by a gunshot. Peter turned around. 

Tony watched Peter stand frozen as Michael fled the scene. 

Peter screamed. His face crumpled as he tossed his backpack and ran across the road to where the man, Uncle Ben, lay on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. He fell to his knees, entire body shaking as he tried to figure out what to do.

Peter tried his best to stop the bleeding with shaky hands, tears falling as he spoke desperately to Ben, begging him to be okay, apologising, telling him they’ll be okay, screaming for an ambulance, though half of what he said was incoherent. Ben gave the boy a brave smile, lifting one hand and pressing it against Peter’s cheek, wiping away his tears. 

The hand dropped. 

Peter bowed his head.

Peter screamed.

“Mr Stark…?”

“Pete!” Tony slammed the laptop shut. “I-I didn’t think you were coming!”

“Was that Ben…?” Peter asked, almost shyly. Tony sighed.

“May told me about today… I didn’t… I didn’t know about him. I just wanted to help.”

“Do you wanna know why I let Michael go?” Peter whispered, dropping his backpack on the floor by the door. “It was because the store-owner promised me $50 for a delivery errand and gave me $10. I was trying to help May and Ben out with money, so I got annoyed. I went to storm out, but Michael robbed the register and gave me the other $40. And I took it. A-and I left.” Peter blinked, looking down. “And I g-got Ben killed because of it.”

“Kid…”

“And every time I close my eyes, I see his face trying to c-comfort me as he died because of s-something I did.” Peter choked back a sob. Tony shushed him gently, crossing the space between them and pulling the kid to his chest in a secure embrace.

“You did nothing wrong, Pete.” Tony whispered, running a hand through Peter’s curls. “You didn’t know it was going to happen.”

“I let a criminal get away, Mr Stark.” Peter whimpered. “I  _ knew _ he was a criminal a-and I  _ let _ him get away.”

“No, you made a bad choice in judgement. He helped you while doing something bad, he was trying to stop you saying anything about what he was doing. You did what you thought was right, helping your family, and he took advantage of that.”

“Do you think h-he blames me?” Peter asked. Tony shook his head.

“No.”

“He should.”

“He doesn’t.”

“B-but-”

“A series of events that you partook in led to that moment, events out of anyone’s control, but the blame lies on the man pulling the trigger.” Tony told him. “That man killed your Uncle, not you.”

With those words, Peter burst into tears, clinging to Tony like a lifeline.

“Let it out, Kid… I’ll text May, call in sick for you tomorrow, and we’ll lounge around eating snacks and watching Star Wars for the next 24 hours, how does that sound?”

“R-really good, Mr Stark…” Peter forced a chuckle. Tony sighed, resting his cheek atop Peter’s curls.

“He’s gonna be so proud of you, Kid.” He whispered to the boy in his arms as his trembling and sobbing began to subside. “I know I am.”


End file.
